Red View: Rafael's a true Red, Goal of the Month video, Powell interview + more

RAFAEL PROUD TO BE A TRUE RED Rafael admits he's honoured to pick up ManUtd.com's latest Player of the Month award. The Brazilian started five of the Reds' six games in September and impressed the website's readers enough to edge out Paul Scholes as the month's star man. In doing so, the right-back became only the third defender to win the award since its 2007 inception. "I'm very happy to win this award, especially since I found out that defenders never win it," Rafael laughed. "It's just an honour to win, especially to beat Paul Scholes, and I'm very proud. "It was a good month for me, very consistent, playing many games and of course scoring the goal at Liverpool was the high point for me. I think scoring at Anfield probably helped a lot with the voting!" Now 22 and approaching a century of appearances for the club, Rafael revels in the relationship he has built with United supporters since arriving from Fluminense. "It's great to win something voted by the fans," he said."The supporters have helped me since I came here and I'm very happy with that. "Since I arrived here, the fans have been amazing, singing songs for me or stopping me and telling me I'm a true Red! I've been coming here to training since I was 15 years old, a long time, so I feel like I am a true Red." More - Chicharito: We want to make amends | Trio return for Toon trip | Newcastle's a stern test POWELL ADAPTING TO OLD TRAFFORD United new-boy Nick Powell answers questions posted on the club's official Facebook page... What's the biggest difference between Crewe and United? (Tran Hoang Long) Just the intensity of things here when it comes to training and matches. That's no disrespect to Crewe because it's where I grew up and the people there and the club helped me get to where I am today. But as I said before, things are on another level at United and I know I need to be on my game all the time. Are there a lot more goals to come from you this season? (Ashdale Wilson) I hope so. I didn't know how much I was going to be involved this season but now I've got a taste of the goals, I'm hoping I can get a lot more game-time and score a lot more goals. I've got a target in my head but I'm keeping it to myself for the moment! Who has had the biggest influence on your career so far? (Joel Holmes) I'd have to say the youth-team coaches at Crewe, James Collins and Neil Critchley, who I grew up with; Dario Gradi, who obviously has such a legacy at the club, and now, and hopefully for the future, Sir Alex Ferguson and the older pros like Scholesy and Giggsy. I must mention my mum and dad as well - they took me everywhere for football when I was younger and have been through everything with me. Who's your best friend at Old Trafford? (Ben Ainsworth) I mix with all the lads. I get on well with Sam Johnstone, Danny [Welbeck], Tom [Cleverley]... all the young English lads, but I speak to everyone. I'm also good friends with a lot of the guys in the Under-19s through England, like Jack Barmby, Luke Hendrie and Ryan Tunnicliffe. Everyone gets on with everyone though because there's such a great spirit here. More - Henriquez settling in well | Van Persie still not satisfied | Tom in tune with Kagawa LINGARD LOOKS FOR BREAKTHROUGH  Jesse Lingard speaks exclusively to Red View about life as a young player at United... Have you been training more with the first team this season? A lot more initially but not so much since the reserves' season started. Before the games in the Under-21s league, I train with the reserves but I'm still with the first team now and again. Are there any differences between the new Under-21 league and the old reserve league? There aren't many, but you can have three over-age players and an over-age goalkeeper in your team. We'll also get to play some games at the first-team stadiums [instead of alternative grounds like Altrincham] so that will be a good experience for us younger players. On the summer tour, we played in a lot of stadiums so we should be used to that. And Old Trafford will stage some of the matches if we progress to the latter rounds... I played there in the FA Youth Cup a couple of seasons ago and for the reserves too last term. It will be good to play there again as it will help us get used to the pitch - good preparation if we then get called up for the first team. Which is your preferred position? Well, between attack and midfield. In the pocket there. Similar to Shinji Kagawa. I really like the way he plays. Are you seeing almost a conscious change tactically to play more like that? That's what most teams are starting to do - put people between the defence and attack so they can't be marked and can get on the ball and create from there. Andres Iniesta and Xavi have been doing it for years at Barcelona. And the manager may have been taking a long-term view on this as he knows he's got small skilful players like yourself and Larnell Cole coming through.. Rene [Meulensteen] has been trying to build it into us slowly so we're ready for it when we're older. Rene has been there all the time with us and said it's all about 90 per cent passing and 10 per cent skills. We've just got to play together and work hard in our team this season. So what are the aims for this season? It would be good to win the Under-21 league, it's a new one for the club, but we'll see. It was good to win every cup we lifted last season so hopefully we can do it again this year. More: Progress delights Wootton | December fixture changes | Red Voices podcast   This email was sent by:Manchester United Sir Matt Busby Way Old Trafford, Manchester, M16 0RA, United Kingdom. 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